Hearing device for partly-deaf persons



May 5, 1925. 1,536,109

H. L. LESSARD HEARING DEVICE FOR PARTLY DEAF PERSONS Filed Oct. 21, 1921 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 5, 1925.

.UNITED STATES HENRY L. LESSARD, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

HEABING DEVICE FOR PABTLY-DEAF PERSONS.

Application filed October 21, 1921. Serial No. 509,307.

. Z '0 all 'tvhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L Lnssann, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Nashua, in the county of Hillsborough and I State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hearing Devices for Partly-Deaf Persons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for helping partially deaf persons to hear.

It is particularly suitable for the'use of partially deaf violin players, but is so arranged that it is a great convenience to all deaf persons as it allows the free use of both hands and at thesame time the device by which it isfastened to the head causes little, if any, inconvenience.

I amawa-re that devices such as stethoscopes are provided with two oppositely dis- 29 posed nipples each of which enters an. ear whereby it is held in position, and I am aware that telephone receivers for commercial circuits, and; also such portable telephones as are used by the partially deaf,

known as earphones, etc., have a receiver which is pressed up against the ear and held in position by spring holders, etc., which pass up and over the top of the head, the other end coming down in a position near W the temple.

The main feature of my device .is the provision of a nipple which enters the ear, to gather with a guard which is pressed against the ear in combination witha spring holder which passes down back of the neck and presses against the head above or behind the ear instead of passing over the head and down against the temple.

In order that the device may not be too heavy, I provide a special form of tube and receiver and so arrange the receiver that it can rest upon the shoulder ofthe wearer or hang from the holder close to the ear.

In the drawings, Fig. v1 is a front view of a person with my preferred form of device held in position and with a violin also in position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation as from the left of Fig. 1 omitting the violin and showing in plotted lines another position of the sound Fig. 3 is a front view similar to 1 of my device with a shorter sound tube.

Fig. L is a view looking down on the top of the head at right angles to the 'line 4-4 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the ear guard and nipple.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the ear guard and nipple with adjoining parts.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the mouth of the sound box.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation as on the line 88 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a front view of the guard and 05 nipple with a modified form of hanger.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing guard and nipple with another modified form of hanger.

In the drawings, A represents the head, 13

the neck and C the shoulders of a person having ears 10, 10. In Fig. 1, D represents a violin held in the usual position between the chin 9 and a shoulder C. I

My hearing device comprises an ear-piece 7 indicated broadly by F and which consists of an ear guard 21 of disc shape of a size to press against the outside of the ear, and a nipple 20 of a size and form to enter the ear which projects from the center of one side thereof. Preferably, this nipple 20 is covered with rubber or some similar material which will rest comfortably on the bottom part of the ear tube 8. 22 is a nipple tube which extends from the ear nipple through theear guard and is threaded at the end.

In my preferred construction shown. in detail in Fig. .6, I provide a holder cup H which fits closely over a boss 23 on guard 21 and over the threaded portion of nip )le tube 22. To this holder cup H is rigidly fastened one end of a spring holder K so shaped at 31 as to fit around back of the head at the point 12, near the upper part of neck B. The free end 30 is of such length and so positioned that it will rest above or slightly back of the car 10 at a point on the threads to engage the exterior threads on nipple tube 22 whereby holder cup H can be clamped between. them. Preferably, coupling" tube L has a part 44 in which are such interior threads, an elbow 45, audabent end 46 over which an end 40 of a flexi-v ble sound tube M can'be passed. This flexible sound tube may be made of rubber or.

similar material, and in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown of such length that it can pass from one ear around the back of the neck up over.

the'othei' ear, and when attached by meansof arubber band or clip free; end of, spring'holder K, itwill depend at 41 to 'apointwhich will bring the sound box 0, which is attached to the other end thereof, near to and directly over the sound box of a violin, such as D.

This sound box '0 'is'forjmed of a light wooden shell 50 made of substantially cylindrical form," from the backend of which projects the coupling tube 56 over which the end41 of the flexible tube M' ispa'ssed to hold it in position. 51 is a metal directing horn, the mouth of which, preferably, flares and is of ovalshape, which extends inside the sound box 0 from tube 56 to a point near the front end' thereof 52. This front end 52 is preferably closed by means of a removable disc '57 preferably made ofspruce wood, such as violinsounding boards are made from." It is so cut'as to have two opis pressedby. means of the spring holder K po'sitely disposed vibrating tongues 58,. 53, located opposite the long sides of the mouth of horn 51.

, The ear-piece, with its nipple and guard,

into and'against the ear, and is thereby held in position.without'discomfortto the wearer and with 1 little likelihood of' falling off.

When used for 'violin playing, the sound tube M is hooked up over the left ear, as in dicated, sothat the soundbox hangs down directly over the sound board ofthe'violin.

vAs shown by the dotted lines in Fig. '2, the sound tube M can be detached from the spring holderK sothat the sound'box 0 will hang down and rest over the left shoulder where it can readily be picked upby the hand and directed towar'ds'a persons mouth when listening. It can also be swung back over the left shoulder-and extended out a greater distance fromt'he-r ight' ear if desired, or it can be used in the pendant positionto a certain extent. 1 7 As. shown in Fig. 3, the ear-piece F may I be held in-position and a short flexible tube 60 connected therewith, which is of such length that the sound box 61 will hang down and rest 'on the right shoulder.

Instead of the holder cup H, as shown in P proximate the Fig. 9, I may use, attached to the spring holder 70, a bifurcated member 71, 71 atpoint backof the temple and which will press. the ear guard against the ear andthe nipple .thereinto, the nipple thus serving to prevent it from falling down on one side, and the other end of the spring, such as 30, prevent" ing the spring holder from fallingv down on. the other sid 7 "The bent coupling tube,-'especiallywhen arranged with the adjustable holder cup, .al-' lows the flexible tube to stay close tothe head without bulging thereby helping the device to stay "in position, and the tube is ofsuch' length and the sound box of such shape that in either position shown in Fig. 2 there is no drag on the ear-piece and the whole apparatus readily stays in position.

-1. In a hearing device 'forpartly deaf violin players, the combination of an ear-' piece 'comprlsing an ear guard, an ear mpple: of a size and form to enter the earwhich' projects from one side thereof and a nipple I tube which extends from N the ear nipple throughthe ear guard havingthre'ads at the end, with a holder cup through which said nipple tube passes, a curved spring holder carried bysaid holder cup and shaped to pass'back of the head, and a-bent coupling tube threaded on to said nipple tube outside said cup. 9

2. Ina hearing device for partly deaf violin players, the combination of an earpiece comprising an ear guard, an ear nipple of a size and form'to enter the ear'which projects from oneside thereof and a nipple tube which extends from the ear nipple through the ear guard having threads at the end, with a; holder cup throughwhich said nipple tube passes, a curved spring holder carried by saidv holder cup and shaped to pass back of the head, a hook on the free end thereof, a bent coupling tube. threaded on to said nipple tube outside said cup, flexible sound tube in extension of said coupling tube, and a light weight sound box at tached to the'other-e'nd thereof. 4

-3. In a hearing device for partly deaf persons, the; combination of an ear-piece comprising an ear guard, an ear nipple of a size and form to enter the ear which projects from one side thereof, and a nipple tube which extends from the ear nipple through the ear guard, with a curved spring'holder carried by said nipple tube and shaped to which extends from the ear nipple through the ear guard, with a curved spring holder 10 carried by said nipple tube and shaped to pass back of the head, a flexible sound tube in extension of said nipple tube, and a sound box attached to the other end thereof.

HENRY L. LESSARD. 

